To commemorate the 30th-anniversary of the celebrated anime, Mobile Suit Gundam, a "full-scale" Gundam mech is being built in Japan's Shiokaze Park. The lower part has already been constructed and stands over 30' tall. The full statue is expected to be completed by July 11th and will remain on display through August 31st, free of charge.
The completed Gundam mech will weigh up to 35 tons and stand over 50' tall. It will also move its head and emit light and/or mist from some 50 different points in its body. It is unclear what will become of the monolith after that.
Gundam, which debuted on Japanese TV in 1979-80, is widely considered the progenitor of the anime craze. To date, it (and its offshoots within the franchise) dominates the best-selling anime titles of all-time, worldwide. It even inspired a real-life, virtual university, staffed by some of the top thinkers and academicians in the country. Gundam has even appeared on stamps.
© C Harris Lynn, 2009
A rambling melange of pop-culture.
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